The Problem of Time in Modern Slovenian Poetry

Abstract

This article examines the problem of time in modern Slovenian poetry from the specific perspective of literary theory and at the same time from contemporary inquiries into time in other fields, primarily physics and philosophy. The examination is based on the poetics of Gregor Strniša, who was interested in contemporary physical theories, which he included in his poetry in a multilayered search for the essence of time; the poetics of Dane Zajc, one of the most highly regarded Slovenian existential poets, whose work is intrinsically linked with elements of contemporary philosophical theories; and the poetics of Miklavž Komelj, a representative of the younger group of poets, whose postmodern poetry reflects the specific contemporary relationship to time that already encompasses all contemporary movements in the natural and social sciences. Analysis of their poetics reveals that time in contemporary poetry is defined through the specific nature of lyric poetry and the period of its creation. In their works, time is always the present; however, it appears in various forms, all essentially connected to specific universal changes in the way time, space, and man are conjointly perceived in physics, philosophy, and literature.